How to make lock picks

In order to make any pics, you'll need a grinder. Of course you could try
to make them with a file, but considering the time that would take, you'd be
better off purchasing a set for $15. But if you do have a grinder, why
pay that for 5 minutes worth of work? There really isn't anything sacred
about these picks. All measurments can be guestemated and still result in
a pick just as functional as any commercial pick on the market.

Important Note:

When you're done making your tools, be sure to sand the head and shaft of your tool where the grinder was used. If the
edges are not smooth, your tools will not glide smoothly across the pins in a lock. So make sure there are no visible
marks on any portion of the tool which will come into contact with the lock.

Measurments

The measurements don't have to be exact, but they can't be too far fetched
either. In the following table "Commercial" applies to the images on this page.
All images are of the same scale (when viewed full size). The optimal size
depends on the size of your hands and the size of objects you feel comfortable
working with. Don't automatically assume you should stick with the size which
commercial picks are made, experiment.

Piece

Commercial

Acceptable

Shaft length

1.50 inches

1.25-2.00 inches

Shaft height

0.1875-0.0625 inches (tapered)

Same

Handle

3.00 inches

2.00-4.00 inches

Double sided pick

4.00-4.50 inches

3.50-5.00 inches

Torque wrench head

0.50-0.75 inches

0.50-1.00 inches

Torque wrench handle

3.00 inches

2.00-4.00 inches

Materials

The material which best suits the manufacturing of picks is hacksaw blades.
They're only about 50 cents each, and you can make about 3-5 picks out of
each one. If you want a nice handle on your pick, you can use a small screw driver,
and just grind down the sides. But I find the handle gets in the way more
than it helps.

For torque wrenches, I recommend an allen wrench which is about one or
two sizes too big to enter the keyway. Then taper the head so that it
slips easily into the keyway. The taper will allow you to use the same wrench
on most locks you encounter. Other acceptable materials are: screwdrivers,
paper clips, forks (with all but one prong removed), etc.

Some Examples

Here's an idea of what some commercially made picks look like:

Click for full size

And here's an idea of what a homemade pick looks like:

Click for full size

If you want to reduce the number of picks in your set, you can make both
ends of the pick functional. Here are some examples of double sided commercial
picks: